The Vans shoe model introduced in 1992 and named after Steve Caballero is the Half Cab.
The design developed from skateboarding practice itself. Skaters had been cutting down the taller Caballero shoe to create a mid-top shape that offered more freedom for technical street tricks. Vans responded by producing a purpose-built version, with Steve Caballero’s involvement and approval.
The Half Cab followed the original Caballero signature model, which is why several names can sound interchangeable. “Caballero” refers to the skater and the earlier signature shoe, while “Cab” can refer to the low-top model or to the caballerial skateboarding trick. “Full Cab” is not the canonical name of the 1992 model.
The shoe became one of Vans’ defining skate silhouettes. Its name combines the shortened nickname for Caballero with the idea that the high-top had been cut down to roughly half its original height.